Hello linnea,

This is not nearly the list you want, but in a quick search I found this clickable link: List of Cold Tolerant Annuals

Click on this link for a List of Cold Sensitive plants

It would be nice to have all the plants listed in a continuous spectrum from cold to warm, but I don't have access to that right now.

ZM

50F at night is nothing for any of those annuals!! It won't hit 50F at night here for another 3-4 weeks or so but all of those annuals are completely plantable now as long as they have been hardened off. Heat lovers like coleus or tomatoes won't do much at those temps but it certainly won't do them any harm!!

Get it while you can is the only reliable plan. : )

Agreed with GG, specifically on everything you mentioned, been there done all those. When I leave extra copies of so many things outside, nothing is affected until there is actual frost. I would put them in the ground now if that is your eventual plan. If there is a quick dip for a few hours, the ground will fluctuate less than pots. When I was in 5b, I never waited past 5/15 unless there was an actual frost predicted. So unlikely. Worst case scenario is that you need to throw some sheets over some things.

None of the things you mentioned are true tropicals, just need soil that stays above freezing. Except for tomato and Dahlia, I've had all of those survive at least once over winter here. The Coleus has been the biggest surprise to me, having left hundreds of Coleus stumps in the ground over the years. A seed sprouted in a hollow at the base of a stump in 2022, and it's back for its 3d year this spring.

The search box is a joke. If you want to laugh, use that.

Also just noticed, none of the plants mentioned are true annuals. All perennials.

Did any of your plants get damaged, Linnea?

50 F at night will not do any harm to those plants. What will do damage to what we consider heat-loving "annuals" up here in my zone is cold, wet soil -- that's when rot sets in -- or really cold temps at night. If forecast low 40s or below I'll bring in at night if not planted yet; if only in the thirties then I bring in what I can and cover what's planted if possible. This time of year those temps are uncommon, though not unheard of. Which is why I tend to delay planting these types of plants (flowers and vegetables) until 3rd or 4th week of May -- we're generally in the clear by then. Well, that plus the soil isn't typically good and thoroughly warmed through until then. At best plants stall in cool soil; at worst they languish and rot in cold soil.

That's good to hear! ;) Deciding it's time to move the big pots can so often be a jinx. I got extra exercise this spring when a frost came about a month after I'd moved most of my stuff back out, even though I'd kept a couple of really big "jinx pots" inside. If yours are similar to mine, they hadn't had a thorough soaking until you took them outside, which seems to double the weight.

There also seems to be a difference between a cold night at the end of the season when those tropical plants are growing so vigorously, vs. the beginning of the season when, at least at my house, it's a time when many plants are recovering from the near-death experience of being taken inside for the winter. I'm much more nervous about a cold night in the spring.